Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides Versus beauty drops Bakuchiol 1% + Squalane

Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides Versus beauty drops Bakuchiol 1% + Squalane

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and calm redness.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Bakuchiol

Krameria Triandra Root Extract

Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bakuchiol, Krameria Triandra Root Extract, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Glycine Soja Oil

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil

Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil

Squalane

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Piper Nigrum Seed Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycine Soja Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Squalane, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Bakuchiol, Piper Nigrum Seed Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.

You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:

1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV) 2) activate the same genes retinoids do

Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).

The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.

Systematic reviews also back this up:

Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.

The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.

This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

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